PS 1939 
.H4 H4 
Copy 1 



i PLAY in one Act 
called Her Last 



^^te Rehearsal as wr 
itten by Willard Hoi 
comb & done into print 
byWiirA.Page 




■'#* 



/ n 



^ 



^ 



HONE ACT PLAY CALLED 
HER LAST REHEARSAL OR 
DISENCHANTING AN AMAT 
EUR AS WRITTEN BY WILLARD 
HOLCOMB ESQUIRE AND DONE 
INTO PRINT BY WILL A PAGE AT 
WASHINGTON 




pAJTfci^.-»nAl<Ujr j^/v^J^ (i ju^ ! V: \M^ dL ^'^^0 



COPYRIGHTED MDCCCXCVII AND 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY WILLARD 
HOLCOMB DRAMATIC EDITOR THE 
WASHINGTON POST 



1- 



i^/ 



H-tH-f 



HER LAST REHEARSAL 

Dramatis Personam 
Romeo, a Professional Leadine: Man. 
Juliet, An Ambitious Amateur. 
Stage Manager, a Discoverer of Talent. 

Scene 
Bare Stage of a City Theatre 

Time 

Morning of To-day 



BUT FORTY-TWO COPIES EACH 
NUMBERED AND SIGNED BY MR 
HOLCOMB HAVE BEEN PRINTED 
OF THIS EDITION FOR PRIVATE 
CIRCULATION ONLY THIS BEING 
NUMBER 



WuIa^ /i'-^^^^-^ 



HER LAST REHEARSAL 



CURTAIN discovers Stage Manager sitting 
at prompt table. Enter ROMEO in street 
clothes, reading letters. 

Man. Ah, good morning, my boy. 

Romeo. Good morning. 

Man. Well, I see you are on time, old man. 

Romeo [curlly] Did you ever know me to 
be late at a rehearsal when 1 could pos- 
sibly get there? S^Comes doiun front and 
stands by prompt table\. 

Man. S^jocosely\ That's so; you're a pheno- 
menal leading man, Tm afraid you"re 
afflicted with that very rare disease 
among actors, — a varicose conscience. 

Romeo [coldly^ I try to keep my engage- 
ments — and my temper, too. 

Man. {still joking'lOX^ your temper's all 
right. In fact, the only complaint I ever 
heard of you was that you didn't have 
fire enough about ycu,— but that was 

5 



Her Last Rehearsal 

from the leading lady, not the manager. 
She said you made love beautifully from 
a long distance, but personally she had 
as lief be kissed by a snow man. 
[^Laughs] Rather chilly, wasn't it? 

Romeo [^sternly'] I have never believed in 
the doctrine that an actor must live his 
part. So long as he creates the proper 
impression on the spectator, there is no 
need for sincerity on his own part. 

Man. Well, you always were a queer duck. 
How is it that you have never married? 
\^Romeo hiriis away coldly'] Most lead- 
ing men at your age have played half a 
dozen engagements in that line. 

Kof\io[curtly'] I have never cared to marry 

Man. How about Marie Mazanetti? She was 
clean gone on you the season we were 
out with her. 

Roi'AEO[impalie?iUy'] I should never marry 
in the profession. It's a dog's life at the 
best, but single, one is at least free. 

Man. Well, you used to make plenty of 
"mashes" in front. Matinees were al- 

6 



Her Last Rehearsal 

ways good when you were in the cast. 

Romeo [dtiler/y] Pshaw! An affection that 
can be thrown over the foot-Ughts like a 
cheap boquet cannot be worth much, 
and I have never had time to cultivate 
the acquaintance of a woman of family 
and refinement. \_Takcs chair aL side of 
stage\. 

Man. I always thought you too tine-haired 
for this business. How did you come to 
get into it, anyway? 

Romeo \^gloomily'\ It was simply a case of 
making my living. I chose the only pro- 
fession for which my training fitted me. 
I was "raised as a gentleman," taught to 
wear a dress suit and do nothing grace- 
fully. What more do you want for a 
modern leading man? 

Man. Got one of your sarcastic moods on 
to-day, eh? S^Rises and zvalks up stage 
impatienth^ Well, if that girl ever 
comes, we'll cut this rehearsal short. 
l^Looks at his watch'] She's fifteen min- 
utes late already! 

7 



Her Last Rehearsal 

Romeo [rising quickly] She pays us well 

for our time, doesn't she? 
Man. Why, of course she does. We don't 

"teach the young idea how to shoot" off 

Shakespeare for nothing. 
Romeo \deliberaiely\\\vtx\ let's not cheat 

her any more than we have done. 
Man. [surprised] What do you mean by 

that? You aren't soured on your job, 

are you? 
Romeo [(^eV/^r/y] Yes, 1 am. I'm very much 

obliged to you for throwing it in my 

way when I was out of work, but I wish 

I hadn't taken it. 
Man. It's better than walking around on 

your uppers, isn't it? 
Roffi^o[vehemefitly] No! That is at least 

honest. 
Man. [hotly] Come, now, I'm no common 

swindler. 
Romeo [firmly] No, but you are deceiv- 
ing this girl. 
Man. How? She pays me ^500 to prepare 

her for the stage. It's worth it. It's no 

8 



Her L3st Rehearsal 

more than I would charge anybody else. 

Romeo That's all right, but in addition, 
she must buy costumes, hire a company 
and rent the theatre. 

Man. Well, you don't expect me to do 
that for her, do you? If these young 
fools will get stage struck, they must 
pay for it. They come to take the bread 
and butter out of our mouths. 

Romeo Yfirmly^ Right there's the pointi 
you are encouraging her to risk her all 
in an experiment that must fail. 

Man. How do you know it will fail? 

Romeo \loiidly\ Come, now, you and I 
know this business too well to discuss 
that. You know as well as I do that she 
can never play Juliet. 

[Juliet appears at side of stage and 
sta n ds listen ing\ . 

Man. \sighing'\ Well, I've done my best 
for her, anyway, 

Romeo \_frankly\ You certainly have, and 
so have I; for I would like to see her a 
success. She is a good little girl, and a 

9 



Her Last Rehearsal 

hard worker, but her ambition is beyond 
her ability. She will fail — she will be 
laughed at— pel haps hissed, for she can- 
not even look the part. I dont care for 
myself— I can stand it— but it makes me 
sick to think of her disappointment. It 
will break her heart. 

[Juliet drazvs back out of sight.'\ 

Man. Well, it's started and it's got to be 
gone through with. 

Juliet \outside^ Here we are, mamma. 

Man. Hush! There she is now. 

Juliet [«/ side of siage\ Now, you sit 
there, mamnia, and don't come on the 
.stage at all. You'll disturb us. {^Turn- 
ing to the others], Good morning, gen- 
tlemen. 

Romeo [ quietly^ Good morning. 

Man. {effusively] Ah, how fares me gentle 
Juliet this morning? {^quoting] "It is 
the East; and Juliet is the sun." 

Juliet [coldly^ Those are Romeo's lines. 
He does not speak them. 

10 



Her Last Rehearsal 

Romeo I beg your pardon; I said "good 
morning." 

Juliet Only that and nothing more? 
[Stage Manager shows her his watch.'] 

Man. Fifteen minutes late, my dear young 
lady— fifteen minutes late. Now, if you 
are going into this business, you may as 
well learn right at the start that punctual- 
ity is the first virtue of a player. There 
is only one thing that can excuse an 
actor from rehearsal— and that's death. 
Even then the ghost walks. — Romeo 
has been waiting for you for nearly half 
an hour, and that is enough to make 
such a punctual fellow as he is a little 
bit short. 

Juliet \confused'\ Really, I'm sorry. 1 was 
out selling tickets for my benefit and 
forgot all about rehearsal. 

ROMEO \kindly\ Never mind! I can stay 
half an hour overtime if necessary— and 
1 guess we'll need it. 

Man. Well, then, let's get to work. What 
did we do last time? 

11 



Her Last Rehearsal 

Juliet The balcony scene. 

Man. That's so. I think you did that very 
well. {Gets prompt book'] Now let's try 
the parting scene — act third, scene V. 
"Wilt thou be gone, it is not yet near 
day",^ — that's your cue. 

Juliet {hesitating'] Why do you rehearse 
that scene so much? Why, we know it 
by heart. 

Man. [impatiently] My dear young lady, 
you've got the lines, maybe, but not the 
action. Lines are nothing — action is 
everything. Now, you do the balcony 
scene very well together; that's mostly 
elocution. But when you get together, 
you are like a couple of ice-bergs. You 
want to warm up in this scene. [Goes 
about stage arranging chairs to repre- 
sent scenery.] Now, give me ' your at- 
tention a moment, please! Here, imagine 
these chairs the window going out onto 
the balcony. There will be cushions 
piled up here, and here's a rug tor you 
to faint on later. There's a couch over 
here, and here's a stand with a butter- 

12 



Her Last Rehearsal 

bow! lamp burning on it. All ready, 
now. {^Stands at prompt tabic. Juliet 
recites stiffly, looking upward.'\ 

Juliet "Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet 
near day " 

Man. No, no! My dear young lady, Romeo 
is not up there in the gallery — he's down 
here. You are supposed to be talking 
to him. 

Juliet Oh, excuse me. {^Turns to Romeo 
& recites once more but stands at a 
distance. Gestures wiidty.'\ 
"Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near 

day- 
It was the nightingale and not the lark 
That pierced the fearful hollow of thine 

ear. 
Nightly she sings on yon pomegranite 

tree "' 

[stopping] Oh, where did you tell me 
that pomegranite tree was? 

Man. [impatiefitly'] There's no pomegran- 
ite tree except in your imagination out 
the window there somewhere. 

13 



Her Last Rehearsal 

Juliet Oh, I forgot. — "Believe me, love, 
it was the nightingale." 

Mak. {interrupting^ Now, that won't do 
at all. That may be very fair elocution, 
but it's not acting. You must get into 
the atmosphere of the scene. Now stand 
down here and let me show you. Now 
remember, you are a young bride, just 
bidding good-bye to your husband for 
the first and perhaps the last time. — 
What would you do under such circum- 
Sxances.^ 
\ Juliet shakes her head helplessly-'] 

Man. Why, you d embrace him, like this— 
"Wilt thou be gone — .''[Embraces him 
and recites effusively.'] You see, that 
makes a picture! Now, try it all over 
a,::iin. 

[Juliet recites again, somewhat better.] 

Man [interrupting] You wouldn't stand 
ort" and talk to him through a telephone 
like that. Hang onto him. 

[She 'ays her hand gingerly on Romeo's 
collar. ] 
14 



I 



Her Last Rehearsal 



^ 



Man. Pshaw! That's the way a poliCv^- 
man takes hold of a prisoner. Throw 
your arms around his neck and hold 
him tight. Juhet's modesty is all gone 
now, and she only thinks of keeping 
Romeo with her as long as possible. 
[Stage Man. mops his brow & lakes 
off coat. Juliet holds off stiffly front 
Romeo's efnbrace and recites again.'] 

Man. [breaking in] That's better! — Now, 
Romeo. 

Romeo "It was the lark, the herald of the 
morn. 
No nightingale; look, love, what envious 

streaks 
Do lace the clouds in yonder East. 
Night's candles are burned out and 

jocund day 
Stands tip-toe on the misty mountain top 
I must be gone and live, or stay and die. 

Man. Good! Now, Juliet. 

[Her hat gets in Romeo's eyes and she 
removes it.] 

Juliet "Yon light is not daylight—" 
15 



Her Last Rehearsal 



Man. Not the footlights, my dear young 
lady. The light you see streams in this 
window. Now, try again. 
Juliet '-Yon light is not daylight. I know 
it, I: 
It is some meteor that the sun exhales 
To be to thee this night a torch-bearer 
And light thee on thy way to Mantua; 
Therefore stay yet; thou needst not to be 
gone." 
Man. Now grab him again. Remember, you 
are trying to make him stay against his 
will. 
S^Rovieo caresses her and starts to recite. 

She shrinks.'] 
Man. Don't draw back. Stick to him like 
a burr.— You're getting your own way 
now. 
Romeo "Let me be ta'en, let me be put to 
death, 
I am content so thou wilt have it so."" 
I'll say yon gray is not the morning's eye 
'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's 
brow; 

16 



Her Last Rehearsal 



Nor that is not the lark whose notes do 

beat 
The vaulty heaven so high above our 

heads. 
I have more care to stay than will to go, 
Come Death, and welcome; Juliet wills 

it so. 
How is't, my soul? Let's talk, it is not 
day." 
Man. Now, Juliet, you can break away. 
Look out of the window and listen to 
that imaginary lark. 
\^Julict starts to cross to window behind 

Romeo. ] 
Man. Not that way — in front of him. 
Juliet I thought you told me never to 

turn my back on the audience? 
Man. My dear girl, there's no audience 
out there. This room is supposed to 
have four sides, and there's only one 
person in it with you, — that's Romeo 
Some confounded elocution teacher put 

that idea into your head. That's 

better: now go on, 

17 



Her Last Rehearsal 

Juliet '-It is, it is: hie hence — begone — 

away! 
It is the lark that sings so out of tune 
Straining harsh discords and unpleasing 

sharps. 
Some say the lark makes sweet division 
— This doth not so, for she divideth us. 
Some say the lark and loathed toad 

change eyes — 
Oh, now 1 would they had changed 

voices too 
Since arm from arm that voice doth us 

affray 
Hunting thee hence with hunt's up to 

the day. 
Oh, now be gone! More light and light 

it grows." 
Man. Put more pathos into your tones; 
you are convinced now, against your 
will. 
Juliet "Oh, now be gone; more light and 

light it grows." 
Man. That's better. Now, Romeo, it's 
your turn. 

18 



Her Last Rehearsal 



Romeo "More light and light. More dark 

and dark our woes." 
Man. ril read the nurse's lines. {^Knocks 

o7i table.'] "Madame!" 

1 Juliet stands quite still.] 
Man. [impatiently] My dear girl, what 

would you do if the nurse knocked at 

your door under these circumstances? 

[Juliet shakes her head helplessly.] 
AUn. Why, you'd start — you couldn't 

help it. 
Juliet Why, of course I would. How 

stupid ot me! 
Man. Now try it again. [>^«or/^.y] "Madame." 
Juliet [with an awkward .y/ar/f] "Nurse." 
Man. [disgusted] No, no, no! Not as if 

someone had stuck a pin into you. See 

here — more like this. [Shows her how. 

Juliet does it somewhat better.] 
Man. [7^eadi7ig] "Your lady mother's 
coming to your chamber; 

The day is broke: be wary: look about.'' 
JiLiET "Then window, let day in, and let 
life out." 

19 



Her Last Rehearsal 



Man. Take him to the window — you want 

him to go now. Then fall into his arms 

for a last embrace. 
\^ Juliet approaches Romeo shyly. Business 

getting into place.'] 
Romeo "Farewell, farewell! One kiss and 

I'll descend." 
\^Romeo clasps her in his arms and kisses 

her heartily.'] 
Juliet {breaking away] Oh! Don't hold 

me so tight, please. 
Man. Why not? Romeo should hug the 

very life out of you. 
Juliet {confused] But he needn't kiss 

me. 
Man. What do you suppose that's in the 

book for? "One kiss and I'll descend." 

You can't get around that. 
Juliet {hesitating] Couldn't he kiss me 

on the forehead? 
Man. And get hair in his mouth? Well, he 

may if he likes, but that's the regular 

business of the scene. 
{Stage Man. walks down front disgusted'] 



20 



Her Last Rehearsal 

Juliet \decidedly\ Well, I don't like it, 

that's all. 
Romeo [>rm/r] That is the way I have 

always played the part. If it offends you 

I can resiiin. {Goes to get hat and cane.] 
Juliet [ quickly\ Oh, no, please don't do 

that. \Shyly\ I guess I can get used to it. 
{They take positions again.] 

Man. {Smili?ig] Hem! Now Romeo starts 
down the ladder. JuHet, lean over and 
cling to him as though you couldn't let 
go. 

[ Juliet puts one arm around Romeo's 
neck but drops other hand at side. He 
reaches for it while she recites.] 

Juliet "Art thou gone so? Ay, husband, 
love, lord, friend. 
I must hear from thee every day in the 

hour, 
For in a minute there are many days; 
Oh, by this count I shall be much in 

years 
Ere I again behold my Romeo." 

21 



Her Last Rehearsal •- 

— N 

Romeo "Farewell! I will omit no oppor- 
tunity 
That may convey my greetings, love, to 
thee." 
Juliet "Oh, think'st thou we shall ever 

meet again?" 
Romeo "I doubt it not; and all these woes 
shall serve 
For sweet discouises in our time to 
come." 
Juliet "Oh, God, 1 have an ill-divining 
soul; 
Methinks I see thee now thou art below 
As one dead at the bottom of a tomb. 
Either my eyesight fails or thou look'st 
pale." 
Romeo "And trust me love, in my eyes, 
so do you. 
Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu! 
Adieu!" 
\^They finish the sceiie very creditably.'] 
Man. That's very good. Now you can 
sprinkle in as many kisses through there 
as you can stand. — Mazanetti used to 

22 



Her Last Rehearsal 

haul Romeo back and kiss him halt a 
dozen times. It was one of her prize 
scenes, and always made a hit. Now 
we'll rest a little while! \_Fuis on coat.] 

Juliet Excuse me, please, while I speak 
to mamma. \_E.x'it\ 

Man. \_Jocosely'] You did warm up in that 
scene, old man. If ycu kiss her like 
that on the night of the performance, 
you'll create a sensation. Every woman 
in the audience will want to play Juliet 
to your Romeo. — Now I must go and 
jolly the old lady a little. 

\_Meets Juliet.] 

Man. You two can talk over your busi- 
ness in that scene while I talk to your 
lady mother, Juliet. 

\^Exit. Juliet stands off.] 

Romeo I hope I did not offend you with 
any undue ardor in my manner just 
now? 

Juliet ^coldly] Oh, I suppose that is your 
usual way. 

Romeo [approaching her] Be assured I 

23 



Her Last Rehearsal 



should take no liberties which the lines 
did not warrant or which I thought 
would be offensive to you. But, serious- 
ly, you should feign a little more ardor 
even if you don't feel it. You will par- 
don my asking the question, but— were 
you ever in love? 

Juliet [cnri/y'] What difference does that 
make? 

Romeo A great deal with your under- 
standing of Juliet. 

Juliet [(fe/ideraiely] I have never been in 
love. — Have you? 

Romeo [con/used] No! [A/ler a pause'] — 
Yes! 

Juliet \^fiefcely'\ Then why did you kiss 
me like that? You had no right when 
you love another. 

Romeo It was because I love you. 

Juliet \staHs, then exclaims] But 1 hate 
you. 

Romeo You hate me?— Why? 

Juliet \_bitler y] Because you don't believe 
in me. You discourage my ambition. — 
24 



Her Last Rehearsal 



Oh, I overheard what you said just now 
— about my being certain to fail. It 
wasn't kind of you— it wasn't just. 

\_Her voice chokes and she turns away.'] 

Romeo I have not been just to you. I 
ought to have told you before. — But it 
is true. I spoke in all kindness and from 
my ov/n bitter experience, which I 
hoped you might be spared. I might 
have told you the first 4ay we rehearsed 
together— but one never gets thanks 
for advice of that kind. Flatter and 
foster false hopes if you would be be- 
lieved; tell the truth and you will be 
hated. 

Juliet [/aint/y] Oh, I don't exactly hate 
you. I believe you mean well. 

Romeo Ido mean well, but I was weak 
enough to yield to the charm of your 
company. 1 should have told you frank- 
ly at first, but I feared to lose you. — 
However, that is all over now — you can 
never forgive what I have said. 

[ Turns to go. ] 

Juliet 'igently'\ It pains me only because 

25 



Her Last Rehearsal 



it is what I myself iiave feared. This 
great broad stage looked so pleasant 
from out there in front, I fancied it 
must be fairyland, and to be an actress 
the easiest thing in the world. But since 
I've been back here, all the charm is 
gone; it's nothing but hard, dismal 
work, with failure in the end for me. 

Romeo But if you should succeed, — you 
might learn to do as well as many so- 
called actresses. 

Juliet [ea^-erlyl 1 believe you could teach 
me, if anyone — 

Romeo [bi^lerly] But after that— the jeal- 
ousies, heart-burnings and disappoint- 
ments of an over-crowded and undisci- 
plined profession. The actor's trials are 
not all before the footlights. It's the 
petty rivalries, slanders and back-bitings 
that make one bitter against his own 
kind. But hard as is an actor's lot, 
that of a young actress is harder still. 
A man can protect himself. 

Juliet [g'ently'] But could not you protect 
me ? 

26 



Her Last Rehearsal 



Romeo [eag-erlv] Would you give me that 
right ? 

Juliet [s/iyly] Perhaps, 
[//if starts toward her but hesitates. '\ 

Romeo \ster7ily\ Merely as a means of at- 
taining your ambition? 

Juliet No — because I love you ! 

[Romeo clasps her in his arms and kisses 
her. Stage Manager appears at side.] 

Man. \apptauding'\ Bravo! Bravo! That's 
the best bit of acting you've done yet. 
but what do you mean— those are not 
Romeo's lines? [Hunts for prompt 
book.'] 

Romeo [luith pi'etended seriousness] We 
have decided to play a modernized ver- 
sion of "Romeo and Juliet," with the 
tragedy left out. 

Man. [horrified] What? In this theatre? 

Romeo [gaity] We shall not need your 
theatre, thank you, but if you could 
recommend us to a Friar Laurence in 
the neighborhood we'd be obliged. 

Juliet Yes, I guess I'll have to cancel my 
engagement. You see — 

27 



Her Last Rehearsal 



[ Juliet hesitates. Romeo takes her hand 

gallantly. '\ 
Romeo You see— she's going to join my 
company — for life. 

[ROMEO KISSES HER AND LEADS HER TOWARD 

SIDE— STAGE MANAGER SINKS IN 

A chair] 

CURTAIN 

ON CURTAIN CALL ROMEO AND JULIET SEEN 

WALKING OFF— STAGE MANAGER 

THROWS DOWN BOOK 

Man.— Well, I'll be dinged! 



csljere then cometh to an 

JPTend the one act play 

called her last rehearsal 

OR DISENCHANTING AN AMAT 
EUR AS ^WRITTEN BY WILLARD 
HOLCOMB ESQUIRE AND DONE 
INTO PRINT BY WILL A PAGE AT 
WASHINGTON 



This play was presented for copy- 
right purposes on May 27, 1896 at 
the Grand Opera House, Washington 
with the following cast : 

ROMEO, MR. A. T. SEAMAN 

JULIET, MISS FRANKLYN LYNCH 

STAGE MANAGER, MR. WM. BOAG 

It afterwards ran for two weeks at 
the New National Theatre with Mr. 
Boag as the Stage Manager, Charles 
Mackay as Romeo, and Mary Sanders 
as Juliet. 

It was also presented, week of May 
10, 1897, at the Castle Square Theatre 
at Boston, by Miss Sanders and Mr. 
Mackay, with Mr. Tony Cummings 
as the Stage Manager. 

Permission to present this play 
must be obtained from Mr. Willard 
Holcomb, Dramatic Editor, The 
Washington Post. 



LIBRARY °L,?,JjS,f ill 

016 112 663 9 # 



